Purpose: To recognize the most distinguished student paper
delivered on the topic of African and African diasporan music presented at the
SEM annual meeting.
Eligibility: Any student who presents, in person, a formal
paper on the topic of African and African diasporic music at the SEM annual
meeting. A student shall be defined as a person pursuing an active course of
studies in a degree program. This will include persons who are engaged in
writing the doctoral dissertation but not those who are teaching full time
while doing so. Please note: The AfMS prize competition is separate from other
prize competitions. Papers submitted for other prizes (such as the Seeger
Prize) are also eligible for the AfMS prize.
Prize: A cash prize awarded to the student in an amount
decided annually by the AfMS chairs; the amount will not exceed $50. A cash
prize of $150 will be sent to a library in Africa, to be chosen by the winning
student.
Regularity: Annually. The prize may be withheld by the
decision of the committee.
Administration: The selection committee shall be made up of
three members of the AfMS, with members chosen for the next year's competition
by the section at its annual business meeting.
Application Process: The prize candidate must deposit three
copies of his/her paper to the prize committee chairs at the AfMS business
meeting at the annual SEM conference. The time and location of the AMS meeting
will be listed in the conference program. The paper deposited is to be the
version that is read at the conference and may not exceed twelve double spaced
pages (roughly 3,900 words). Candidates are encouraged to submit three copies
of taped audio or visual examples that will be used in the presentation (CDs or
tape cassette for audio examples; North American standard VHS or DVD format for
video) with a brief explanation of how the examples are used in the
presentation. Entries will be judged solely on the content of the papers,
including the use of video and audio examples submitted. The 2006 selection
committee will decide upon a winner by the 1st of February following the paper
presentation.
Application Deadline: Saturday of the SEM annual meeting
(or day on which the SEM business meeting is held).
Recipients
2011
Stuffelbeam, Katie. "Performing Advocacy:
Women’s Music and Dance in Dagbon, Northern Ghana.”
2010
Lawrence, Sidra. "Sounds
of Development? Race, Authenticity, and
Tradition among Dagara Female Musicians in Northwestern Ghana."
2009
Warden, Nolan. "Crossing
Diaspora's Borders: Musical Roots Experiences and the Euro-American Presence in
Afro-Cuban Religious Music."
2008
McCoy, Jason. "Making
Violence Ordinary: RTLM Radio and the Rwandan Genocide."
2007
Vokwana, Thembela. "Can
We Sing Together?: Performing Nationhood Through Choral Festivals in South
Africa."